The Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers are heading to Dublin for a historic international matchup on Sunday. It will be the first regular-season NFL game ever in Ireland. This matchup is part of a record seven international games this season, including matchups in London, São Paulo, Berlin, and Madrid.
While NFL games in London are familiar to many fans, Ireland’s football infrastructure is less well-known. Here’s a closer look at the stadium hosting this landmark matchup.
Ireland’s Croke Park Will Host the Historic Vikings vs. Steelers NFL Game
The Vikings and Steelers will face off at the legendary Croke Park, often called the “Cathedral of Irish Sport.” It’s home to the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), which governs Ireland’s native games of Gaelic football and hurling, the latter of which resembles hockey.
Croke Park is deeply entwined with Irish identity. The GAA was established in 1884 to preserve Irish sports, the Gaelic language, and broader cultural heritage during a tough period for the locals under British rule.
The stadium is named after Archbishop Thomas Croke and naturally has connections to Ireland’s independence movement. It’s been nearly 150 years since Croke Park’s opening, but the venue remains a symbol of national pride and Irish sporting tradition.
In 1984, the GAA began planning to expand Croke Park, with the design finalized in 1991: a three-tiered structure featuring a central concourse, a premium level with hospitality facilities, and an upper concourse. The stadium underwent a complete redevelopment in four phases between 1993 and 2005, carefully staged not to miss hosting an All-Ireland final during the construction.
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When the renovation was done, Croke Park had a capacity of 82,300, making it the largest stadium in Ireland and the fourth-largest in Europe. These are the four stands:
- Cusack Stand: Renovated for £35 million (approximately $46.8 million), it has a three-tiered structure, a capacity of 27,000, and 46 hospitality suites.
- Davin Stand: An extension of the Cusack Stand that replaced the old Canal End terrace. The Ali Tunnel, named after Muhammad Ali’s 1972 exhibition fight at Croke Park, was created here.
- Nally End / Dineen Hill 16 Terrace: This is the stadium’s only remaining standing area, with a capacity of about 13,200. It combines the redeveloped Nally Stand and the historic Hill 16 terrace.
- Hogan Stand: Built as a modern facility for general spectators, corporate patrons, VIPs, media, and operations staff, including a mezzanine for VIPs and a top-level media facility. Its construction helped bring the stadium to its current capacity of 82,300.
Croke Park’s NFL History
This is not Croke Park’s first taste of American football. The iconic stadium has previously hosted college football, including a 1953 exhibition between Britain-based U.S. Air Force teams, Notre Dame vs. Navy in 1996, and Penn State vs. UCF in 2014.
The Steelers’ owners, the Rooney family, are of Irish descent, and Pittsburgh itself played a preseason game at Croke Park against the Chicago Bears in 1997.
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College football in Dublin is also a regular fixture now, but these games are held at Aviva Stadium, not Croke Park. In 2025, Kansas State edged Iowa State 24-21, marking the fourth consecutive year NCAA games have taken place there. And two more games are already scheduled for 2026 and 2027.
Sunday’s NFL game is being played at Croke Park instead of Aviva Stadium for several reasons: Croke Park has a larger capacity (82,300 vs. Aviva’s 51,700), and Croke Park has greater cultural significance and a rich tradition.
Aviva is also the home of Ireland’s rugby and soccer teams, with a packed September-October calendar. In contrast, Croke Park hosts multiple smaller events throughout the year, but its two marquee days are the All-Ireland Senior Finals in Gaelic football and hurling, both ending in late July.
Kerry GAA won the All-Ireland Gaelic football final this year, while Tipperary claimed the All-Ireland hurling championship. Croke Park remains at the heart of Irish sport, and with a growing base of American football fans in Ireland, the NFL’s first regular-season game there is expected to be both a smooth transition and historic.
